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I have been cooking my briskets...HNF....and love the reduced cooking time.

I have only done about 6-8 briskets now. The first few...I was is trying to pull at 200ish IT and they were tough and dry...I probed and didn't know what "like butter" felt like....always pulled early thinking ...thinking I was overcooking. Then I let one go...it didn't probe until 212....bam!! got it...now I understand and don't pull early any more.

The hardested in thing is you have 30 plus dollars invested in a packer and you don't want to pharq it up....let alone disapppoint your guests.

Remember to plan out what you do and keep notes of time / temp and what you do. Most of all remember to just have fun!

So true...I need to start keeping a consistent log until it becomes more second nature. I always think I'll remember the specifics of a cook. Unfortunately, the next cook is sometimes a relearning experience.

Thanks again for all the insight..lots of food for thought. I know everyone has a preferred method and there are many ways to get a great result. I guess in the original post, I was trying to determine what people thought was the more "forgiving" method for a first timer and would get the most consistent results.

I've only done (2) packers on my UDS...but decided from the beginning to go HNF and never look back. The first was "pretty dang good" - the 2nd one I could have sold door-to-door ...but we ate it all. 12lbs @ 280-300 for 2 hours, foiled for(about) 4 hours. Pulled at "buttah" - and let rest in an empty cooler, swaddled in towels for 2hours.

I've only done (2) packers on my UDS...but decided from the beginning to go HNF and never look back. The first was "pretty dang good" - the 2nd one I could have sold door-to-door ...but we ate it all. 12lbs @ 280-300 for 2 hours, foiled for(about) 4 hours. Pulled at "buttah" - and let rest in an empty cooler, swaddled in towels for 2hours.

hmm- what was different between the two- to be honest? the salt/pepper/garlic/onion was applied a "bit heavier" on the second.... and on the first one I *may* have not let it rest a whole 2 hours- hey, I was hungry.

YOU CAN NOT COOK GREAT BBQ ON A CONSISTENT BASIS BY COOKING TO AN INTERNAL TEMPERATURE OR BY TIME ( XXX MIN PER LB) YOU MUST COOK BY FEEL! For Brisket it must pass the poke test(probe like soft butter in the thickest part of the Flat) Ribs pass the Bend Test, Pork Butts when the bone wiggles loose. These are the only reliable methods to ensure that your cook will be a success. There is one exception to these rules and that is Poultry which must achieve and internal temp of 170 deg in the thickest part of the thigh and 165 in the breast.

First brisket done..11 lb. prime packer. Cooked at 275 until probe tender. To my noob palate, it came out pretty good. The thin end of the flat was not as tasty as the rest of the brisket...but still quite edible. Is it because it was thinner and dried out or did I pull it too soon? That area was the only part that didn't probe like "buttah." Thanks again for all the input!

I've become a fan of hybrid cooks too. Start out low (my low is 250) for an hour or two, then crank up the heat to 300-325 for the rest of the cook. Best of both worlds because you get to lay some smoke on the meat in the beginning, then you can power through the stall.